The invention relates to a folding top for a motor vehicle, comprising a rear roof part which delimits a window opening for a rear window and which is displaceable about a main pivot axis in order to transfer the folding top from a closed position into a storage position, wherein the rear window is pivotable relative to the rear roof part about a window pivot axis which extends at a distance from the main pivot axis.
German patent document number DE 198 07 490 C1 discloses a folding top of this type in which a rear roof part connected to an upper roof part in an articulated manner can be stowed away from a closed position into a storage position within a trunk space which can be used as a folding-top storage space. The upper and the rear roof part are intended to be displaced by means of laterally arranged parallelogram linkages about a main pivot axis, embodied as a pivot pin fixed to the vehicle body, which extends in the transverse direction of the vehicle at the lower end of the rear roof part. Lateral C-pillars of the rear roof part externally delimit a rear window which extends downwardly to the level of a rear-end and folding-top compartment lid and upwardly as far as the rear end of the upper roof part. The rear window is mounted on the C-pillars of the rear roof part such that it can be rotated about a window pivot axis extending in the transverse direction of the vehicle. To increase the remaining trunk space volume with the folding top opened, the rear window is pivoted upwardly relative to the rear roof part.
In order to make it possible to achieve such a pivoting movement of the rear window relative to the rear roof part, the rear window must bear, when the folding top is in the closed position, from the inside against the edge regions of the rear roof part which delimit the window opening. Accordingly, there must also be provided a window seal on the rear window-facing inner side of the edge regions of the rear roof part which delimit the window opening. In order to be able to ensure that the folding top is sealed even when the motor vehicle is traveling at high speeds, the window seal must therefore have a very complicated structural design between the inner side of the rear roof part and the rear window.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a folding top which is designed in a structurally simpler manner.
This object is achieved according to the invention by a folding top that includes a rear window that bears against the rear roof part from the outside when the folding top is in the closed position and, after the folding top has been transferred into its storage position, is moved at least by way of a partial region through the window opening.
Provision is made in the case of the folding top according to the invention for the rear window to bear against the rear roof part from the outside when the folding top is in the closed position and, after the folding top has been transferred into its storage position, for this rear window to be moved at least by way of a partial region through the window opening. In other words, provision is thus made according to the invention for the rear window to bear from outside against the rear roof part with the folding top closed. This makes it possible in a structurally simple manner to arrange the window seal between the outer side of the rear roof part and the inner side of the rear window so as to ensure, with reasonable structural outlay, that the folding top can be sealed tight even when the vehicle is traveling at relatively high speeds.
In order for the rear window to be able to achieve its raised position with respect to the rear roof part when the folding top is in the storage position, this rear window must be able to be moved at least by way of a partial region through the window opening when transferring the folding top into its storage position. For this purpose, provision is made according to the invention to arrange or to move the rear window relative to the rear roof part such that it is possible in particular for the lateral C-pillars to be moved past the associated lateral window edges of the rear window.
The rear window can be moved through the window opening in a particularly simple manner if its window pivot axis is arranged at a distance in front of the main pivot axis of the rear roof part. As a result, points on the rear window and on the rear roof part which are superposed, for example, when the folding top is in the closed position come to lie at a distance behind one another in the storage position. Accordingly, at least a partial region of the rear window can be guided in a simple manner through the window opening.
In a further refinement of the invention, a trapezoidal rear window has been shown to be particularly advantageous in which the upper side of the trapezoid is designed to be shorter than the lower side of the trapezoid in the closed position. If, accordingly, the rear window and the window opening, which lie one above the other in the closed position, are brought into different positions with respect to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle in the storage position, an end region of the rear window assigned to the shorter side of the trapezoid can thus be guided in a simple manner through the associated region of the window opening.
It has further been shown to be advantageous to arrange both the pivot pin forming the main pivot axis and the pivot pin forming the window pivot axis fixedly on the body of the motor vehicle. This makes it possible, for example, to achieve a considerable distance between the two pivot pins/axes so that the rear window and the rear roof part can be displaced along correspondingly different movement trajectories.
An easily preassembleable folding top can be provided here by mounting the rear window and the rear roof part on lateral brackets in the region of the window pivot axis and the main pivot axis, respectively, these brackets being connectable to the body of the open motor vehicle in a simple manner during the final assembly.
It is possible to ensure that the rear window is guided through the window opening in a particularly operationally reliable manner and to ensure that the folding top is reliably opened by first of all folding down the rear window completely into the storage position before the rear roof part is transferred from the closed position into the storage position. The rear window is then guided through the window opening by guiding the rear roof part around the rear window during the opening movement of this rear roof part.
A particularly secure arrangement of the rear window within the folding-top storage space is obtained if it is covered on the upper side by an upper, preferably intrinsically rigid, roof part of the folding top.
Finally, a reduction in the number of components used and in the required overall space can be achieved by using a common drive mechanism for the rear roof part and the rear window.